The correctional officer oral board interview is no picnic. In fact, the oral board interview for correctional officers will probably be the toughest phase in the application process. So don’t take it for granted.

Sure, you can go ahead and try to wing it and hope and pray that you’ll say all the right things and do all the right things to get the job.

But why do that when you can do something better and smarter? Why take chances with your future?

Why not set some time aside, and study up on the interview so you can learn how to effectively handle any questions thrown your way? According to the author of “Ace Your Correctional Officer Interview,” don’t show up to your interview unprepared because you will fail miserably.

Here are some common questions to prepare for.

What has been your biggest professional disappointment/achievement so far?

If asked about disappointments mention something that was beyond your control. Stay positive by showing how you accepted the situation and have no lingering negative feelings.

If asked about your greatest achievement chose an example that was important to you as well as the company. Specify what you did, how you did it and what the results were. Ideally pick an example that can relate to the position of a correctional officer.

What kind of decisions do you find most difficult to take?

There is no right or wrong here. The logic behind this type of question is that your past behaviour is likely to predict what you will do in the future. What the interviewer is looking for is to understand what you find difficult.

Tell me about a suggestion that you have made that has been successfully implemented. Here the emphasis is on the implemented. You may have had many brilliant ideas, but what the interview is looking for is something that has actually materialised. Be prepared to briefly describe how it went from an idea to implementation stage.

Have you ever had to bend the rules in order to achieve a goal?

Beware of this type of question! Under no circumstances is it necessary to break company policy to achieve something. Resist the temptation to answer and give examples, as what the interviewers are looking for is to determine how ethical you are and if you will remain true to the law enforcement code of ethics.

Why should we hire you?

This is an important question that you will need to answer carefully. It is your chance to stand out and draw attention to your skills, especially those that haven’t already been addressed. Saying “because I need a job” or “I want to help my community” just won’t cut it.

Don’t speculate about other candidates and their possible strengths or flaws. Make sure you focus on you. Explain why you will make a good correctional officer, why you are a good fit for the job and the company and what you can offer. Keep it succinct and highlight your achievements.

Do you have any questions for us?

This one tends to come up every time. Have some questions prepared. This will show you have done some research and are eager to know and learn as much as possible. You probably don’t want to ask more than 3 or 4 questions.

Try and use questions that focus on you becoming an asset to the agency. A generic one might be “how soon can I attend the training academy if I were to get the job”. Another idea is to ask what you would be working on and how quickly they expect you to be able to be productive. Remember to ask about next steps and when you can expect to hear back.

Bear in mind that the interview starts from the minute you walk into the building until you leave and are out of sight. Don’t think that just because you have left the meeting room, you are “off the hook”. You need to maintain an image of confidence, enthusiasm, competence, reliability and professionalism throughout.

A common question from prospective correctional officer candidate preparing to make an impression at their oral board interview is “What interview questions will I be asked?”, “How will the interview process be conducted?” and “How best can I prepare for my interview?”.

In this economy landing a correctional officer job is a huge opportunity, an opportunity, which cannot be taken lightly. The biggest job interview blunder is not taking the interview serious, and showing up unprepared.

In the age of the Internet, there’s no excuse for going to a correctional board interview without having some prior knowledge of what you’ll likely be asked. If you don’t know some of the common questions that you’ll be asked – we suggest downloading the very popular book, How To Ace Your Correctional Interview .

Every correctional agency will have its own unique recruitment process, and these will often be modified frequently agencies update their interview process. It is therefore impossible to give anything more than general guidance as to the interview process and what may be involved.

However, the following article may help in giving you pointers, as well as common questions to prepare for.

Interview Preparation Advice

Research the agency and the people who will be conducting the interview (if known), find out what their ranks are (sergeant, captain, lieutenant, and etc) and how long they’ve been a correctional officer. All of this is usually available on the website inside the tab “about us.”

Check the job description carefully. Know the rules and duties of correctional officer without hesitation.

If you do not prepare carefully and thoroughly for the interview, why should the interviewers assume that you will prepare properly when working with inmates?

Make sure to study about inmate manipulation tactics, and how you would handle it in the event it happens to you. Expect to be asked a lot of questions concerning your character, work ethic and integrity.

Los Angeles County California Los Angeles
Cook County Illinois Chicago
Harris County Texas Houston
Maricopa County Arizona Phoenix
San Diego County California San Diego
Orange County California Santa Ana
Kings County New York Brooklyn
Dallas County Texas Dallas
Miami-Dade County Florida Miami
Queens County New York Kew Gardens, Queens
Riverside County California Riverside
San Bernardino County California San Bernardino
Wayne County Michigan Detroit
King County Washington Seattle
Clark County Nevada Las Vegas
Tarrant County Texas Fort Worth
Santa Clara County California San Jose
Broward County Florida Fort Lauderdale
Bexar County Texas San Antonio
New York County New York Manhattan
Philadelphia County Pennsylvania Philadelphia
Suffolk County New York Riverhead
Middlesex County Massachusetts Cambridge and Lowell
Alameda County California Oakland
Sacramento County California Sacramento
Bronx County New York The Bronx
Nassau County New York Mineola
Palm Beach County Florida West Palm Beach
Cuyahoga County Ohio Cleveland
Allegheny County Pennsylvania Pittsburgh
Oakland County Michigan Pontiac
Hillsborough County Florida Tampa
Hennepin County Minnesota Minneapolis
Franklin County Ohio Columbus
Orange County Florida Orlando
Contra Costa County California Martinez
Fairfax County Virginia Fairfax
Salt Lake County Utah Salt Lake City
Fulton County Georgia Atlanta
Travis County Texas Austin
Pima County Arizona Tucson
St. Louis County Missouri Clayton
Montgomery County Maryland Rockville
Milwaukee County Wisconsin Milwaukee
Westchester County New York White Plains
DuPage County Illinois Wheaton
Shelby County Tennessee Memphis
Fresno County California Fresno
Mecklenburg County North Carolina Charlotte
Erie County New York Buffalo
Pinellas County Florida Clearwater
Honolulu County Hawaii Honolulu
Fairfield County Connecticut Bridgeport
Wake County North Carolina Raleigh
Bergen County New Jersey Hackensack
Marion County Indiana Indianapolis
Hartford County Connecticut Hartford
Duval County Florida Jacksonville
Hamilton County Ohio Cincinnati
New Haven County Connecticut New Haven
Prince George’s County Maryland Upper Marlboro
Macomb County Michigan Mount Clemens
San Francisco County California San Francisco
Gwinnett County Georgia Lawrenceville
Kern County California Bakersfield
Worcester County Massachusetts Worcester
Ventura County California Ventura
Pierce County Washington Tacoma
Collin County Texas McKinney
Middlesex County New Jersey New Brunswick
Baltimore County Maryland Towson
Montgomery County Pennsylvania Norristown
Essex County New Jersey Newark
Suffolk County Massachusetts Boston
El Paso County Texas El Paso
DeKalb County Georgia Decatur
Essex County Massachusetts Salem
Hidalgo County Texas Edinburg
Monroe County New York Rochester
Multnomah County Oregon Portland
Jefferson County Kentucky Louisville
San Mateo County California Redwood City
Oklahoma County Oklahoma Oklahoma City
Cobb County Georgia Marietta
Lake County Illinois Waukegan
Jackson County Missouri Independence
Snohomish County Washington Everett
Will County Illinois Joliet
San Joaquin County California Stockton
Norfolk County Massachusetts Dedham
Jefferson County Alabama Birmingham
Denton County Texas Denton
Monmouth County New Jersey Freehold Borough
Bernalillo County New Mexico Albuquerque
Baltimore City Maryland Baltimore
Davidson County Tennessee Nashville
Providence County Rhode Island Providence
Bucks County Pennsylvania Doylestown
Denver County Colorado Denver
Kent County Michigan Grand Rapids
deputy sheriff
sheriff’s deputy